Drill string suspension arrangement



.1.v. oNExLl. ETAL 3,245,547

DRILL STRING SUSFENSION ARRANGEMENT April 19, 1966 3 Shee-SheefI l FiledAug. 13, 1962 ,QrToR/VEYS April 19, 1966 J. v. O'NEILL ETAL 3,246,547

vDRILL STRING SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1962 I sSheets-Sheet 2 l @1j-[43 146 ne 148 @Gij maf L INVENTORS JSEPH L(DNE/Lz.

BY G50/zee HoMn/v/CK United States Patent O Y 3,246,547 DRILL STRINGSUSPENSON ARRANGEMENT Ioseph V. ONeill, Inkster, and George Homanicir,Livonia, Mich., assignors to The Leyman Corporation, National BankBuilding, Cincinnati, Ohio Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 216,663

6 Claims. (Cl. 81 54) This is a continuation-impart of copendingapplication Ser. No. 52,274, filed Aug. 26, 1960, now Patent No.3,158,213.

'This invention relates to well drilling apparatus, and particularly toapparatus which permits the drilling of wells such as oil wells to 'becarried out automatically, without manual labor, but with human control.

Still further, this invention relates to an improved pipe guide andknocker chuck mechanism making up an integrated component system for theautomated drilling of oil wells, characterized by extremely high-speedhandling in the making and breaking of pipe joints.

THE PROBLEM As is well-known, one of the most difficult problemsconfronting the oil well driller or other person desiring to form boresinto or through the crust of the earth, is the handling of long stringsof drill -pipe in an eiiicient, accurate and safe manner. Take forinstance the situation where an oil well is to be drilled severalthousand feet deelp into the surface crust of the earth. Presume that byusing suiiicient .sections of drill pipe, the drill bit is at about thetwo -thousand foot level and strikes a hard 4formation and is broken.This necessitates removal of all of the pipe to expo-se the bit forrepair. Such removal -requires that the entire two thousand feet ofstring be pulled from the hole to expose the drill bit.

For -convenience of handling, drill string is conventionally made upinto thirty foot lengths, called sections and these lare interconnectedby means of a box joint at each end. To remove the string it is pulledthirty feet to expose a joint and then power tongs are applied by manualguidance to break the joint. A crew working at top efficiency can removea section in about two to three minutes under optimum workingconditions. M-ultiplied times several thousand feet, it will beunderstood `that this is a time-consuming operation because both pullingthe string and going back into the hole require the repetition of thesesteps many, m-any times.

One of the problems associated with the making` of joints in a drillstring is the bringing together of the o threaded ends into alignment tostart the threads; this is called stabbing in. tion of drill pipe weighsas much as 2,500 to 3,000 pounds, it will be understood that it is anunwieldy object when hanging from a block and tackle on a drillingderrick, and men must be very lcare-ful to avoid cru-shed iingers,broken arms and torn esh when guiding t-he bottom endl of the topsection of a string into threaded engagement with the subjacent section.This is extremely hazardous and, representing present conditions, is anextremely antiquated method of operation.

Accordingly, an important step forward in the art would 'be provided bya mechanized system .for making and breaking joints in drill string orcasing wherein the pipes are guided into alignment or are stab-bed inmechanically without human intervention and wherein the joint issuhsequently automatically made by apparatus remotely controlled by anoperator to avoid actual manual intervention, and wherein all components`are integrated into an automatic system of extremely high speed,accuracy and freedom from danger to human operators.

j y 3,246,547 Patented Apr. 19, 1066 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly an important object of the present invention is to providewell drilling apparatus which can be operated without d-irect physicalhuman efrort, but with human control.

An additional object of the invention is to provide well drillingapparatus which can be operated automatically to add pipe to or removepipe from a drill string without manual handling of the individual pipeor drill string sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drilling apparatuswhich assumes an improved control over` the pipe during the drillingperiod, string connecting periods and string disconnecting periods. v

A -furt-her object is to provide a novel drill pipe madeand-break chuckor knocker chuck, incorporating pipe section guide and aligning means.

A still further object is to provide pipe section guiding and aligningmeans for use in well drilling apparatus.

vA further object is to provide a system for making and breaking jointsin a string of drill pipe.

When it is understood that a sec- A further .object i-s to provide -aunitary structural system for making and breaking pipe joints includingan automatic guide mechanism in combination w-ith means for gripping apipe and means for rotating an adjacent plpe.

Other objects of `this invention will appear in the followingdescription and Iappended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification where-in likereference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

FIGURE l is a sectional view taken along the lines 1 1 of FIGURES 2 and3 of a irst embodiment of a pipe joint tightening and looseningmechanism ot the present invention;

-FIGUREZ is a sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view partly in section illustrating a secondembodiment of a knocker chuck of of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View taken along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4;

IFIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of pipe guiding mechanism of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view, partly in'section, of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view showing application of the guidingmechanism of FIGURES 7 and 8.

Before explaining the present invention in detail it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is vcapable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or carried o-ut in various ways. Also, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of description and not of limitation.

PERSPECTIVE VIEW Y Briey, the present invention relates to a novel pipeassembly mechanism for well drilling, `typified by oil wells, wherein aset of radially movable guide elements are effective to cradle and guidea pipe section into end threadable relationship with a drill string oradjacent pipe section, and wherein a iirst set of pipe-gripping jaws iseffective to 'hold la drill string while a second set of pipe-grippingjaws is effective to make or break the joint.

In one embodiment o-f the invention, the guiding elements move in yaradially-extending'arcuate path and in another embodiment of theinvention, the guiding elements move in a linear radial path. In bothinstances the guiding elements can cooperate with make-and-breakmechanism or tongs to provide an automatic and fully integrated systemfor sta-bbing in, making, and breaking pipe joints at high rates ofspeed and without manual labor, only human push-button control beingutilized.

In view of the foregoing brief introduction, a full and completedescription of the various embodiments of the invention will now follow.

i THE EMBODIMENT OF FIGUR-ES 1, 2, AND 3 As described in the copendingapplication, Ser. No. 52,274 filed Aug. 26, 1960, of which the presentapplication is a con-tinuation-in-part, one typical embodiment of thepresent invention comprises a combination guide and make-and-break chuckmechanism adapted for use in an automated oil well drilling system andutilizes guiding jaws which are movable radially but in a slight arcuatepath to cradle and guide a pipe section into connecting relationshipwith a string, and which cooperates with powered jaws to make and breaka pipe joint. V

Referring now to FIGURES l, 2 and 3, it will be noted that the firstembodiment of the invention is designated as a jointloosening-tightening mechanism 60. Referring to FIGURE 1, the mechanismcomprises a housing 103, having brackets 162 carried thereon journallingV-rollers V104, which rollers are adapted to engage vertical tracks notshown but referred to in the parent application Ser. No. 52,274, tomount the me-chanism 60 for vertical movement within a well-drillingderrick structure. In order to provide power for moving the mechanismdi) in vertical directions in accordance with the environment of theparent application, iluid cylinders d are provided that are equippedwith piston rods 108. Of course, it will be understood that in the broadaspects of the invention, other means can be used for transporting themechanism 60 vertically, horizontally or in other directions, and thatthe descriptions o-f the fluid cylinders are not to Ybe consideredlimiting upon the scope of invention.

PIPE GUIDE JAWS Referring further to FIGURE 1, it will be noted thatthere are provided three sets of jaws indicated generally by thedifferentiating numerals 11i), 112 and 114. Jaws 114 yserve asretractable guiding devices for guiding an upper pipe or free sectioninto a lower pipe or drill string during pipe-connecting ordisconnecting movements, the purpose of the retracting feature of jaws114 being to permit enlargement of the central space within mechanism 60as required during certain periods of drilling, such as when casing upthe hole.

As further shown in FIGURE 3, cach of the jaws 114 is provided with twoarcuate pipe-contacting surfaces 114a and 114b. Contact surfaces 114aare operative to guide drill pipe, and contact surfaces 114i) areoperative to guide larger diameter casing (when piston rod 134 isadvanced from cylinder 135). It will be understood that the stroke ofeach piston rod 134 is regulated so that the surfaces 114e and 114]:have a relatively loose, guiding-type engagement with the pipe orcasing, whichever is being handled. For this purpose a stop mechanism asdescribed with reference to FIGURES 7 and 8 also canbe employed. Each ofthe jaws 114 is formed as a lever, fulcrumed on a pin 130, carried inhousing 1113. The back end of each lever is bifurcated, see FIGURE 1, toform vertically-spaced finger portions 13062 for reception of a ange orplate-like connector 131, carried on the end of the piston rod 134 offluid cylinder 135.

A pivot pin 137 is provided to operatively connect each lever 114 withits respective flange and piston rod 131, 134. Also, the cylinders 135are mounted on pivot pins 135 for pivotal movement.

It will be understood from the foregoing descripiton and illustratedarrangement that suitable introduction of pressurized hydraulic uid intothe cylinders 135 is effec- -tive to retract the piston rods 134 so asto cause the lever jaws 114 to pivot in a manner carrying thearcuatelyshaped pipe-contacting surfaces 114a and 11417 radiallyinwardly to cradle drill section 46, see FIGURE 1, for guiding the pipesection accurately into the central space between jaws 114 (FIGURE 1).The guiding action is of vertical nature and provides a substantialadvance in the art, ensuring that the threads of the male portion on thelower end of pipe section 45 correctly align with and enter into thethreads of the female portion 32a on the upper end of the pipe or drillstring 42.

It is important to note at this point that conventionally thethread-aligning operation or stabbing-in operati-on, as this is calledin the oilelds, is performed manually, and due to the heavy weight of apipe section, in the range from 2,500- to 3,000 lbs., a swinging orpendulum action is generally imparted to the upper pipe as when it ishanging from the hoisting block. This pendulum action makesralignmentand threading .of the pipes a very difficult and dangerous operationIwhich leaves much to be desire-d as regards high-speed. However, by theillustrated arrangement of jaws 114 above the joint-tightening jaws 112as will be described later, the stabbing-in operation may be performedquickly and absolutely without manual assistance or intervention. Theonly necessity is that the lower end of the section 46 be brought withinthe relatively large guiding area or zone provided by the jaws 114 intheir retracted position. Then, the jaws are actuated to move the pipeto center and hold it there once the arcuate surfaces 114er have takeneffect.

THE TOP ROTATABLE TIGHTENING JAWS As best shown in FIGURE 2, each of thetightening jaws 112, previously referred to, is mounted for movementt-oward and away froml the well hole axis by means of a guide 116. Eachjaw 112 carries a pin or roller at 11S, and a chain, cable, strap or thelike 12) is trained around all -four rollers 118. In FIGURE 2, twocables are shown, one for each pair of adjoining jaws 112. One end ofeach cable 120 is anchored as at 122, and the other end of each cable isconnected with a piston rod 124 of a fluid cylinder 126. By thisconfiguration of apparatus, hydraulic fluid can be introduced into thetwo cylinders 126 to draw the piston rods 124 inwardly to exert a pullon the cables 120, in effect shortening the cables and drawing the pins118 radially toward the axis of the well hole.

To retract the jaws V112, as shown in FIGURE 2, return springs 112a areemployed. Such springs 112:1 are mounted by means of a plate 112bfastened as by welding to the back of each jaw 112. Slots to accommodatethe plates 112]; are provided in each side of the guides 116 and therear end of each spring 112a is connected to a plate 11212 as by a smallsocket. At the front end of each of the sides of the guides 116, thereis provided a retainer plate 112C having a socket to receive. the frontend of the spring 112g. From the foregoing it will be understood thatwhen a jaw 112 moves fortward toward the axis of .the well hole, thesprings '112e will be compressed and will store sufficient energy toreturn the jaws 112 to retracted 'position When fluid pressure isreleased from cylinders 126.

The jaws 112 and the power cylinders 126 are mounted on a rotaryplatform or subhousing 127, FIGURE 1, carried in the space below apartition wall 129 extending transversely of the main housing 1113.Partition wall 129 is provided with slots 119, see FIGURE 3, throughwhich extend connecting lugs or brackets 117.y

Each bracket 117 extends upwardly yfrom a portion of sub-housing 127 andis connected by means of a swivel connection at 117a with a piston rod11S of a doubleacting fluid cylinder 113.- It will be noted that therea-r fixed end of the cylinder 113 is pivotally mounted on a pin 113',fastened to partition 129. The arrangement is such that suitableintroduction of pressurized fluid into each cylinder 113 causes theentire subhousing 127 to be rotated relativ-e to the housing 103 foreffecting an initial loosening or final tightening of a joint betweenthe upper pipe section 46 and the lower pipe string 42, see FIGURE l.

THE STRING GRIPPER JAWS By reference to FIGURE l, it will be noted thatthe drill string 42 is gripped and held against rotation by a set offour radially-movable jaws 111B. In the illustrated embodiment, thesejaws are powered by cablefluid cylinder means and retracting springssimilar to .that shown in FIGURE 2 for jaws 112. However, jaws 11) aremounted on housing 103 and are not rotatable, rather than on a rotarysubhousing as in the case of jaws 112.

OPERATION In summary, it will be understood that jaws 114 function asretractable pipe guides, and that jaws 112 and 110 perform the actualtightening or loosening operations relating to making and breaking ajoint in the drill string. The torque for final make-or-break isprovided by the powerful hydraulic cylinders 113 shown in FIG- URE 3.

THE SECOND EMBODIMENT OF FIGURES 4, AND 6 Within the broad scope ofinvention, t-he present invention can utilize radially-movable guidejaws in comvbination with radially movable make-and-break jaws. Toillustra-te this aspect of the invention, reference is now made toFIGURES 4, 5 and 6, where there is shown a unitary make-and-break andguide structure incorporating such features. The knocker chuck of FIG-URES 4, 5 and 6 is designated by the reference numeral 140 and includesan outside housing 142 of generally square box-like configuration andoptionally having offsets 144 along opposed .sides to accommodate rollersupport brackets 146. Rollers 14S are journalled on support .shafts 150carried by the brackets 146 and are adapted to cooperate with suitabletracks, not shown, carried by a drilling derrick for lineal verticalmovement of the knocker chuck 140. Of course it will be understood thata suitable elevating or lowering mechanism will be provided to raise andlower the knocker chusk 140. Typical moving elements will includehydraulic pistons, line hoists or other apparatus.

THE PIPE GUIDE JAWS is rotated by suitable means and moved downwardly,the threads of the male section 46a engage the threads of the femalesection 42a to spin in the joint. To finally torque up to make thejoint, additional power is provided by a set of rotatable pipe-grippingjaws for the male portion 46a of section 46, cooperating with a set ofnon-rotatable holding jaws for the female portion 42a of the pipe 42.These cooperable sets of jaws will be described later after a finalizingdescription of the elements of the pipe guide jaws 152 and theiractuation.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the pipe guide jaws 152 of the knocker chuckconsist of pipe guide blocks 154 carried by heads 156 mounted on pistonrods 15S which slidably extend through supports 160. Piston rods 158terminate in pistons slid-ably mounted within cylinders 162 carried bypedestals 164 which in turn are carried by a transverse Wall 166 ofouter housing 142 of the knocker chuck 140. i

When the pipe 46 is lowered into the knocker chuck 140, pipe guide jaws152 are moved radially inwardly by actuation of pistons 162 to slidablyengage the pipe after the male end 46a has passed beyond the guide jaws.Because of a slight clearance maintained between the jaws 152 and theexterior of the pipe 46, the pipe is permitted to be spun to make up thetool joint. No serious abrasion of the pipe 46 results from its turningrelative to the guide jaws 152 because the blocks 154 are formed ofabrasion-resistant material, such for example as a plastic or soft iron.

THE MAKE-AND-BREAK JAWS As in the previous embodiment of the invention,one bank of make-and-break jaws is characterized by an ability to beslightly rotated to make and break a tool joint, and for such operationmust be mounted within a subhousing rotatable relative to the knockerchuck itself.

In FIGURES 4 and 5 the rotatable housing is designated by the referencenumeral 163 and is mounted in vertically spaced bearings carried by theupper transverse wall 166, 167 and the lower transverse wall 172. Itwill be noted that the inside diameter of the housing 168 issubstantially larger than the diameter of the drill pipe 46, thus beingenabled to accommodate larger diameter casing sections.

It will also be noted by reference to FIGURES 4 and 5 that the peripheryof the rotatable housing 168 is provided with gear teeth 174, adapted tobe engaged with an actuating rack to be hereinafter described.

A better understanding of the actuating mechanism can i is provided byupper and lower keys 183, carrie-d by the upper transverse wall 167 andthe lower transverse wall 172, being positioned in vertically spacedparallel alignment.

Connection between the racks 130 and the piston rods 178 of cylinders176 is provided by an outwardly-extending bracket arm 184 and connectionto the piston rod is effected as by welding lor equivalent.

It should be pointed out that hydraulic lines 186 and 183 are connectedto each end of cylinders 176 forV appropriate fiow of hydraulic fiuidfrom a source not shown.

It will be understood from the foregoing that appropriate application ofhydraulic Iiuid to the cylinders 186 is effective to impart right orleft rotation to the housing 168.

By reference to FIGURES 4 and 6, the mounting of 4 the pipe-gripping androtating jaws Will now be described.

The housing 168, las shown in FIGURE 6, carries a subjacent cylinder andjaw-carrier 190 of circular configuration and including four 90 spacedbox guides 192 extended radially. Box guides 192 include side walls 194,FIGURE 6, and top and bottom walls 196, FIGURE 4. The back end of eachbox guide 192 includes a transverse closing wall 198.

Within each of the box guides 192 there is tted a mating box sectionslidable gripper jaw carrier, designated by the reference numeral 206,FIGURE 6, and including side walls 202, FIGURE 6, and top and bottomwalls 284, FIGURE 4. The exterior dimension of the gripper jaw carrieris of a size slidably mating to the interior of the box guide 192.

As shown in FIGURE 6, a chuck or jaw 206 is keyed to the end of each ofthe gripper jaw carriers 200 and provided with a concavity to mate withthe exterior of a drill pipe section.

Movement of the gripper jaw carrier 200 and jaws 206 is effected bymeans of a hydraulic cylinder 288 fastened lat its Iback end to theclosing wall 198. The piston rod 211B extends forwardly from thecylinder 208 and is connected to the head 212 of the gripper jaw carrier280.

Although not shown, for greatest drawing clarity it will be understoodthat appropriate hydraulic lines are connected into the cylinders 208for operation thereof.

From the foregoing it will be understood that application of hydraulicfluid to the cylinders 208 will be effective to move the chucks or jaws206 into gripping relation with the male portion 46a of the pipe 46,FIGURE 4. Thereafter, application of hydraulic fluid to the cylinders176, FIGURE 5, will be effective to rotate the housing 168 to make orbreak a joint as desired.

Cooperating with the jaws 266 is a lower set of hydraulically-actuatedholding jaws that will now be described.

l THE DRILL STRING-HOLDING JAWS By reference .to FIGURE 4, it will benoted that a transverse wall 214 is mounted within the outer housing 142of the knocker chuck 140. Also, a bottom wall is provided at 216.Between the walls 214 and 216 are provided vertically disposed cylindersupport walls 218 and a suitable embodiment of the invention wouldinclude four such walls spaced at a 90 relationship around the drillstring axis within the housing 142. Between the walls 214 and 216 thereare provided vertically-extending side walls of box guides similar tothe box guides 192 described with reference to FIGURE 6. Within thesebox guides are slidably mounted gripper jaw carriers 220, having top andbottom walls 222 and side walls 224 forming .a box guide having a head226 carrying a jaw 228. A cylinder 230 has its back end connected to thecylinder support wall 218 in abutting relation and the piston rod 232thereof extends forwardly to be connected to the back end of the head226 for actuating the gripper jaw `carrier 220.

From the foregoing it will be understood thatwhen four such units arespaced in 90 array around the female portion 42a of the drill stringpipe 42, with the cylinders 230 actuated to drive the piston rods 232forwardly, the jaws 228 will grip the female portion 42a. Since the jaws228 are non-rotatable, the drill string 42 will thereby be held againstrotation so that when torque is applied to the superjacent jaws 206, ajoint 42a, 46a can be either made or broken as desired.

SUMMATION From the foregoing, it will be noted that a combination ofthree elements make up an important combination in accordance with thepresent invention. Thus, the bottom hoding jaws 228 cooperate with thetop holding and rotatable break-out or make jaws 206 to make or break apipe joint. Working in connection with these elements,

the pipe guide jaws 152 guide the pipe 46 into alignment with the pipeor drill string 42, thereby removing the heretofore dangerous manualoperation of guiding a drill section into alignment with the drillstring to make a joint. To those skilled in the art, the dangersinherent in this prior operation will clearly bring forth the advanceprovided in the art by the present invention.

THE GUIDE APPARATUS 0F INVENTION As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, animportant aspect of the present invention resides in the automated pipeguiding element, used in conjunction with the. subjacent'rnakeand-breakjaw combination.

Although shown in the prior embodiment as incorporated in a unitaryhousing with make-and-break jaws, it is to be included Within the broadscope of invention that the guiding concept of the present invention canbe utilized with commercially available make-and-break apparatus whereinthe axis of the make-and-break chuck is made to operate coincident withthe drilling axis, to provide a substantial advance in the art over themanual guiding systems now and heretofore employed.

With the foregoing in mind, a complete and full description of FIGURES 7and 8 will now be provided. y As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the guidingapparatus is mounted upon a base 234 having an opening 236 ofsubstantial size to accommodate drill string, casing pipe or the like.Although not shown, it is to be understood that the base 234 is movable,as by means of hydraulic cylinders or suitable pivoting apparatus.

On the top surface of the base 234 there are provided guide blocks 238which are positioned in spaced parallel alignment on each side of thehole 236, in pairs to accommodate opposed slide pates 240, each of theslide plates 240 terminating at its forward end in a keyed-on head 242,carrying two guide jaws 244 positioned in spaced array to form a Vadapted to rotatably cradle a drill pipe as at 246. Heads 242 arereplaceable for different diameter pipes. l

Hydraulic cylinders 248 are connected to the top side of the base plate234 by means of supports 249 in axial alignment to the guide blocks 238and the slide plates 240, and the piston rods 250 thereof are connectedas at 252 to the back side of the head 242. Hydraulic lines 254 and 256are provided for cylinders 248 to drive piston rods 258 in areciprocating fashion.

It will be understood from the foregoing that actuation of cylinders 248is effective to drive the guide jaws 244 toward each other to cradle thepipe 246.

Appropriate clearance of the jaws 244 relative to the pipe 246 isprovided by stop mechanism now to be described, which limits the travelof the heads` 242 toward the drilling axis, thus providing rotationalclearance between the jaws 244 and the pipe 246.

To provide the adjustable stop mechanism, it will be noted from FIGURESv7 and 8 that a cross member 258 is provided between each of the pairsof guide blocks 238. On the back of each of the slide plates 240 thereis provided a vertically-extending stop member 260, having a threadedmember 262 thereon to abut the cross member 258. By suitable adjustmentand'setting of lthe bolt 262, it will be evident that proper clearanceof jaws 244 relative to the drilling axis or exterior of pipe 246 can beprovided.

With the above stop mechanism, it will be understood that when cylindersl248 are actuated, the jaws 244 are moved toward each other and stoppedat appropriate 'clearance to rotatably receive the pipe 246. l Otherstop configurations of course fall within the scope of invention.

It is to be considered within the extended scope of invention that oneset of jaws 244 can be elevated slightly above the other set of jaws andextended in length to form overlapping Vs ora scissor-type action. Thus,when a pipe 246 is within the perimeter of the hole 236'o`f plate`drilling axis 272.

234, the jaws 'can be moved forward and will center the pipe 246 to thedrilling axis positively and accurately. This will allow the catching ofmore wildly swinging pipe.

It will be understood from the foregoing that when the guidingembodiment of FIGURES 7 and 8 is applied t0 substantially any drillingequipment, includingthat of the foregoing two embodiments of theinvention, the manual eit'ort of guiding or stabbing a pipe section intomating relationship with a drill string is obviated in favor of a morepositive and danger-free set of mechanical hands that not only guide thepipe but hold the pipe during the threading operation in a manner whichhas not heretofore been possible. An important advantage of the guidingaspect of the present invention is that the positive guiding providedreduces the tendency of thread abrasion as the box joints of the pipeare brought together in the threading up operation.

EXTENDED SCOPE OF INVENTION As shown in FIGURE 9, the broad scope of thepresent invention resides in the use of the guide mechanism shown inFIGURES '7 and 8 with a torquing chuck of presently available commercialutility. Thus, such an embodiment comprises a housing 264 having a top266, with the housing 264 supported upon a column 268 mounted upon adrilling table or similar support 270. Within the housing 264 there isprovided a known pipe joint torqning mechanism comprising a set ofrotatable pipe-gripping jaws. In connection with this known apparatus,the present invention comprises the mounting of the hydraulic cylinders248 on the top wall 266, by means of blocks 245i with the heads 242movable radially to the It will be understood from the foregoing thatwhen the heads 242 are retracted, a drill pipe can be swung intoposition above the opening 274-, the heads 242 quickly actuatedl toposition or center the pipe, which is thereafter lowered in slidablerelationship through the jaws 244 as above described, to make a pipejoint;

When a pipe joint is being broken, the jaws 244 and heads 242 areretracted at the appropriate instant.

In FIGURE 9 the guide mechanism 242, 244, etc. is shown mounted directlyon top of the surface 266 of housing 264. However, it is to beunderstood that the distance of the unit above housing 264 can bevaried, commensurate with necessary clearance for the box ends of thepipe being handled.

Also, as regards FIGURE 9, it is to be understand that stop mechanismsimilar to 258, 260 of FIGURES 7 and 8 will lbe utilized, but have notrepeated for purposes of drawing clarity.-

While the foregoing embodiments have been deiined and described withrespect to the use of hydraulic cylinders, and terminology is to includefluid cylinders, including both liquid and gas-operated cylinders.

As regards the .embodiments of FIGURES 1-3, the retraction springs 112acan be replaced by return hydraulic cylinders if desired. The springshowever provide a very simple and effective structure, and of course aswill be understood, the retracting cylinders would add some complexityin the form of additional hydraulic circuitry. However, such is to beincluded within the scope of invention.

While the various embodiments of the invention, namely the FIGURES 1 3and FIGURES 4-6 embodiments, have included housings having guide rollers104 and 148 respectively, for movement along vertically disposedtrackways carried by a drilling derrick, it is of course to beunderstood that other forms of vertical guides can be provided withinthe broad scope of the invention. Also, cable lifts, hydraulic cylindersand the like can be included for vertical movement of the makeand-breakmechanism for appropriate positioning with 10 respect to a box joint,for either making or removing drill string.

In a further extended scope of invention, the structure of FIGURES 7 and8 can comprise two or more separately pivoted units, i.e. visualize thesupport base 234 split at the center and pivotally mounted at the backedge to swing relatively to the drill axis. When so operating,appropriate mechanism will be provided to position the heads 242 inalignment for operation. This could comprise an abutment in combinationwith a swing cylinder, connected between a base section 234 and a ixedjoint.

CONCISE SUMMARY From the foregoing it will be understood that the broadconcept of the present invention resides in the following features:

(A) A set of guide jaws which are actuatable radially either in linearor arcuate manner to within a given clearance of the drilling axis toaccommodate a drill pipe in relatively rotatable relation to the drillpipe. Note that in FIGURES 7-8 only two jaws have been shown. It willthus be understood that the broad scope of invention includes aplurality of at least two jaws movable to a controlled clearancerelative to the drilling axis.

(B) An upper set of relatively rotatable pipe-gripping jaws, cooperatingwith a lower set of radially tired but non-rotatable gripping jaws to bemounted on a unitary housing with the guiding elements of A aboveto makeor break a pipe joint.

(C) The radially red guide jaws of A cooperating with the two sets ofjaws of B to guide a pendulum swinging drill stern section into accuratealignment with a drill string to make or break a joint in the string.

ADVANTAGES From the foregoing it will be understood that improvedmechanism is provided in accordance with the present invention toalign asection of drill pipe with a drill string to make or break a pipe joint.It will be understood that all manual operations except push-buttoncontrol are removed and the hazards associated with the prior methods ofmaking and breaking string are avoided.

Further, the addition of a section of pipe or casing is accuratelyguided while a pipe joint joint is being made or broken, therebyreducing the abrasion and damage caused by the prior art swinging of thepipes relative to one another. Thus, it is an inherent advantage of thepresent invention that extended service life of the drill pipe isprovided.

An important feature of the invention is the removal of the danger ofbroken arms and crushed fingers and hands by a two-ton dangling pendulumswinging section of drill pipe, Without the cumbersome use of ropes inaccordance with the prior art. Thus the invention provides an advance inthe making and breaking of string in a high-speed, more accurate, andsafe fashion.

Another important advantage of the present invention is the provision ofan integrated system of mechanism for making and breaking pipe joint forhigh-speed drilling operations. We claim:v l 1. In combination forstabbing in drill pipe, a housing defining an opening having an axis andencircled by a continuous wall,

a first set of a plurality of pipe gripper jaws carried by said housingfor transverse movement relative to said axis,

power means in said housing for moving said first gripper jaws, saidl'irst gripper jaws being adapted for radial movement only of said axis,

a rotatable carrier positioned coaxially within said hous- 111g, powermeans in said housing for rotating said carrier,

a second set of pipe gripper jaws on said rotatable carrier for movementradially of said axis,

power means on said carrier for moving said second gripper jaws in saidradial fashion,

a plurality of guide jaws positioned adjacent said second pipe gripperjaws and movable radially relative to said axis to guide a pipe withjoint-stabbing accuracy,

power means carried by said housing for moving said guide jaws,

and means on said housing limiting the degree of movement of said guidejaws toward said axis.

2. In a make-and-break chuck for pipe stabbing,

a housing defining an opening having an axis,

a plurality of pipe guide arms pivotally mounted intermediate the endson said housing in a common plane and having free pipe guide endsmovable toward and away from said axis to guide a pipe for stabbing,

hydraulic cylinders operatively connected to the other ends of each saidguide arm to move said guide arm pivotally,

an annular carriage rotatably mounted in said housing coaxial to saidopening, l

a plurality of pipe-gripper jaws mounted on said carriage for radialmovement relative to said opening,

means on said carriage and operatively connected to said jaws to movethe same,

a plurality of pipe-holding jaws carried by said housing for radialmovement only relative to said axis,

and means on said housing and operatively connected to said holding jawsto move the same.

3. In a make-and-brake chuck for pipe stabbing,

a housing defining an opening having an axis,

a plurality of pipe guide jaws slidably mounted in said housing in acommon plane for radial movement relative to said opening to guide apipe for stabbing,

means limiting movement of said guide jaws toward said axis, v

a hydraulic cylinder connected to each said guide jaw to effect saidradial movement thereof,

a subhousing rotatably mounted in said housing coaxial to said opening,e

a plurality of pipe-gripper jaws slidably mounted on said subhousing forradial movement relative to said opening,

hydraulic cylinder means on said subhousing and operatively connected toeach said gripper jaw to move the same in said radial fashion,

a plurality of pipe-holding jaws mounted in a common plane adjacent saidgripper jaws and mounted for slidable radial movement only toward andaway from the axis of said opening,

and hydraulic cylinder means connected between said housing and eachsaid gripper jaw to move the same in said radial manner.

4. In pipe joint loosening-tightening mechanism for stabbing joints,including a housing deiining an opening having an axis,

aset of pipe guide jaws pivotally mounted in the top part of saidhousing and powered into guiding relation to a first 'pipe sectionpositioned along said axis to stab in a joint,

a lower set of pipe-gripping jaws radially 'movable into grippingengagement with a second pipe section positioned along said axis,

a rotatable carrier mounted in said housing intermediate said guidejaws, and said lower pipe-gripping jaws,

an upper set vof pipe-gripping jaws mounted on said joints,

carrier and radially movable into gripping engagement with the firstpipe section,

and means for rotating said carrier whereby said lower jaws are adaptedto grip the top of the second section and said guide jaws guide thebottom end of the first section into accurate stabbing engagementtherewith, and said carrier jaws thereafter partially rotate said firstsection into iinal connecting engagement with said second section.

5. In a pipe joint loosening-tightening mechanism for stabbing in pipejoints including a housing defining an opening having an axis,

aset of pipe guide jaws pivotally mounted in the top part of saidhousing and powered into guiding relation to a first pipe sectionpositioned along said axis to stab in the joint,

4a lower set of pipe-gripping jaws radially movable into grippingengagement with a second pipe section positioned along said axis,

a circumferentially movable carrier mounted on said housing intermediatesaid guide jaws and lower gripping jaws,

means for moving said carrier,

and an upper set `of gripping jaws on said carrier and movable intogripping engagement with the first pipe section whereby said lower jawsgrip the top of the second-pipe section and said guide jaws guide thebottom end of the first section into connecting engagement therewith,and said carrier jaws thereafter grip and slightly turn said rst sectioninto nal connecting engagement with said second section,

6. In a make-and-break chuck for stabbing in pipe an annular supporthousing defining an opening having an axis to accommodate a drill pipesection having box ends,

radially movable pipe guide arms pivotally mounted at one end withinsaid housing to swing to and from guiding positions relative to saidaxis to guide a pipe with joint-stabbing accuracy,

fluid power means carried within said housing and operably connected tosaid guide arms for moving said arms toward and away from said axis,

and means within said housing operably associated with said guide meansfor torquing and untorquing a pipe joint.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 614,3-33 11/1898McCready. 1,044,349 11/1912 Chapman 173-164 1,818,435 8/,1931 Smith.2,263,267 11/1941 Franklin 81-57 2,450,934 10/1948 Calhoun. t

2,518,398 8/1950 Stone 81--57 2,615,681 10/1952 True.

2,631,822 3/1953 Ussery 303-3 2,639,894 5/1953 Smith.

. 2,668,689 2/1954 Cormandy 81-57 2,727,725 12/1956 Samhammer 30S-3.92,828,109 3/1958 Dellner 30S- 3.9 2,923,192 2/ 1960 Montgomery et al.

3,002,560 10/1961 Paget 81-53 X 3,026,919 3/1962 f Lunn. 3,086,413 4/1963 Mason 81-53 FOREIGN PATENTS 86 1865 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION FOR STABBING IN DRILL PIPE, A HOUSING DEFINING ANOPENING HAVING AN AXIS AND ENCIRCLED BY A CONTINUOUS WALL, A FIRST SETOF A PLURALITY OF PIPE GRIPPER JAWS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING FORTRANSVERSE MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS, POWER MEANS IN SAID HOUSINGFOR MOVING SAID FIRST GRIPPER JAWS, SAID FIRST GRIPPER JAWS BEINGADAPTED FOR RADIAL MOVEMENT ONLY OF SAID AXIS, A ROTATABLE CARRIERPOSITIONED COAXIALLY WITHIN SAID HOUSING, POWER MEANS IN SAID HOUSINGFOR ROTATING SAID CARRIER, A SECOND SET OF PIPE GRIPPER JAWS ON SAIDROTATABLE CARRIER FOR MOVEMENT RADIALLY OF SAID AXIS, POWER MEANS ONSAID CARRIER FOR MOVING SAID SECOND GRIPPER JAWS IN SAID RADIAL FASHION,A PLURALITY OF GUIDE JAWS POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID SECOND PIPE GRIPPERJAWS AND MOVABLE RADIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS TO GUIDE A PIPE WITHJOINT-STABBING ACCURACY, POWER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING FOR MOVINGSAID GUIDE JAWS, AND MEANS ON SAID HOUSING LIMITING THE DEGREE OFMOVEMENT OF SAID GUIDE JAWS TOWARD SAID AXIS.